


Avengers: Where It All Ends Well

by Coquelicot7



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-09 23:38:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18648445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coquelicot7/pseuds/Coquelicot7
Summary: In an alternative universe, Avengers: Endgame turned out very different.





	Avengers: Where It All Ends Well

**Author's Note:**

> This was my take on Avengers: Endgame, written a couple of weeks before Captain Marvel came out. There's only one chapter because I never got to continue it, despite having many ideas. But it had to go somewhere anyway, so here it is.

INT. A CENSUS BUREAU. DAY.

Woman #1 is stamping paper after paper. Phones keep ringing around her.

WOMAN #2 (V.O)  
This is the NY census bureau.

Behind woman #1, hanging on the wall is a counter. Digits keep going up – 1,607,863, 1,607,870, etc.

CLOSE ON. Finally we get to see what woman #1 is stamping. In red and capital letters, GONE is written on the papers, which show the names and faces of the people that are announced GONE.   
The last ID paper we get to see has the name and picture of Anthony Edward Stark.   
Just like the others, GONE is stamped on his picture.

FADE TO: INT. A TINY BATHROOM’S APARTMENT. DAY.

A tired Steve Rogers is head down, his hands on each side of the sink, gripping it tight.

MAN (RADIO V.O)  
The NYC Census Bureau has now counted over one point 6 million deaths as of today, thirty seven days after The Decimation, more than seventy-five million in the country so far.

Steve suddenly loosens his hands but they still look tight. He opens the faucet, takes water in his palms and splashes his face with water.

CLOSE ON: Steve is looking at his face in the mirror, his beard dripping water. We see in the mirror all the emotions that inhabit him – pain, loss, guilt.   
His hands then fumble with something O.S, and come to spread shaving foam on his beard. Slowly, he proceeds to shave it.

CUT.

EXT. DAY. NEW YORK STREETS.

We follow Steve riding his motorcycle around New York City from a bird’s eye view. Cars crashed into the stadium. Boats washed up in Liberty Island. Hospitals closed. Schools turned into orphenages. It’s misty – dusty.

EXT. DAY. IN FRONT OF THE AVENGERS COMPOUND.

Steve parks his motorcycle in front of the Avengers compound. Walks to the compound. In front of the entrance, the safe camera system scans his eye, and the door unlocks. Tony never cut him off from entering the Avengers compound, always allowing him to come back whenever Steve would’ve wanted to.

CUT.

INT. DAY. THE AVENGERS COMPOUND.

Steve is walking down the stairs, leading to yet another one of Tony’s labs. He slows down his pace for the last few steps, as he sees what is waiting for him.   
Different suit designs are displayed behind glass doors, inside the walls – Spider-Man suits, a Black Widow suit, Falcon wings, a Captain America suit,a Hawkeye suit that is missing and a Rescue suit but GET THE EASTER EGGS, IT’S A QUICK BIRD’S EYE VIEW. The room is also full of cardboard boxes, some closed already, some still half full. Someone’s been packing.  
And in the middle of the room is the CAPTAIN AMERICA SHIELD.

CLOSE ON: Steve approaches the shield and runs his fingers on the star, before holding it in his hands. We have a look at the emotions on his face.

(OFF)  
It was on his will.

The camera moves slowly, showing what – who’s - behind Steve. PEPPER POTTS. Steve turns.

PEPPER  
He always wanted you to have it back.

STEVE (taking a deep breath)  
I’m not sure I want it back. What is there left to fight for?

PEPPER  
Ourselves.

Steve’s expression softens, he even has half a smile. He’s always had so much respect for this woman, mesmerized by how strong she’s always been.

STEVE  
How are you holding up?

PEPPER  
I guess I... I’ve had years to prepare for this. I knew there’d be a day he wouldn’t come back.

STEVE  
You’re strong. Stronger than all of us. Superheros.  
[He puts the shield back on]  
This belongs here. With the Avengers. Captain America doesn’t exist without a team.

PEPPER  
You’re giving up?

STEVE  
I’m moving on.  
[He rubs Pepper’s upper arm affectionately]  
I’ll see you around.

The camera stays still on Pepper as we see and hear Steve leave the room behind her.

CLOSE ON: Pepper touches the ring on her finger lovingly. Then, raising her left hand in the air, she wipes away the tear falling on her face. Strong. But so sad.

CUT.

EXT. NEW YORK CITY. SUNSET. We see Steve’s trip back to the city on his motorcycle, but not from a bird’s eye view this time. We see exactly how the streets are – messy, dirty. Steve stops several times – helping an old man carry the groceries back to his apartment, helping a dog whose foot is stuck in a fence. He frees the dog, tries to pet him and soothe him but the dog runs away, scared. He's no longer Captain America, no longer a superhero, but Steve Rogers has always been a hero in his own kind. Fighting the smaller, silent fights. 

Steve ends his trip in front of a dark building. The lights are off. It’s getting dark outside. He enters the building.

INT. NIGHT. THE CORRIDOR.

Steve walks down the corridor and stops at the entrance of a room. It’s the place where Sam used to facilitate a support group. Natasha is there, talking to a couple of people, one of them is a priest, whose backs are turned on us.

NATASHA  
Thanos wiped out fifty per cent of all living creatures. What are we - who are we even burying? The whole world is a graveyard.

She sees Steve and looks at him in the eyes as he leans against the door, now talking to him directly.

NATASHA (CONT’D)  
Now, Steve – I know Steve wants to move on. But I just need to punch.

The two other people turn their heads to Steve.

PRIEST  
Steve? Would you like to share?

Steve gets closer, but doesn’t sit with the group. He leans against a table. Rubs his face thoughtfully.

STEVE  
We didn’t lose just a fight. We lost... everything. We lost friends, we lost family, lovers. We lost part of ourselves. “What do we do, now that they’re gone?” I don’t know. We’ve saved the ones that were left, now what’s the next thing to do?

PRIEST  
Forgiving yourself first.

STEVE  
Can’t do. I wanted to save one life. It killed all the others. So all this? That’s on me.

PRIEST  
You’re not the bad guy in this story, Steve.

NAT  
We don’t move on. We keep going. There’s a difference. They may be gone, but that doesn’t mean we’re done. The Avengers still live.

CUT

INT. NIGHT. INSIDE TONY’S LAB.

Pepper finishes packing up a few stuff. The lab is all tidied up, only the shield and suits are left untouched, exactly where they were before. Pepper stands up. She comes face to face with the Rescue armour. Her reflection on the glass merges with the suit. She looks at herself for a while, as if expecting something, hoping something. She looks away when nothing happens and leaves the frame.  
The camera still focuses on the armor, staying still, as we hear Pepper’s footsteps leaving the lab. The lights turn off. A few seconds go by, then -  
A red light flickers on the rescue suit!

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: it was gonna be dark and angsty, but everything was gonna be okay.


End file.
